When should you go with a freelancer

There are probably a dozen scenarios you can come up with where you might not want to take on a full-time employee to take care of your digital needs. Maybe you don’t have enough work to keep someone busy for 40 hours a week, maybe it just isn’t in the budget, maybe you can’t find the right candidate, or don’t know how to find the right candidate. If you’re here you’ve already found the fix for all these issues. Whether someone goes by the title Consultant, Freelancer, Independent Contractor they all provide their services in a way that may be perfect for your business.

A development firm is also an option. Built into your quoted price will be the salesperson’s commission, developer time, accountant time, office costs, etc. All the things necessary to keep a business running. This is the first and most obvious advantage. A freelancer still needs to sell, do billing, and develop but the process is limited to just one person and typically without the need to lease office space. In other words: Cost. Is this a “you get what you pay for” scenario? Nope. It’s a loophole to lower project expenses.

This is especially beneficial in scenarios where one consultant can single handedly manage the project. For large software projects where multiple developers, designers, and project managers have to work together it may be worth the extra money to hire a firm. Freelancers are most optimal in small to medium projects. In the case of a micro-project or a small change that needs to be made the benefits are substantial..

Does this mean that freelancers need to work alone? No way! There’s a vibrant community of independents out there just waiting to be tapped. A web developer might recommend a designer, a java programmer, or any other specialist needed to implement a complex project.

What about the quality of the work? Freelancers aren’t just people that decided they want to become a programmer one day and are giving it a shot. Typically you’ll find they have years of industry experience and have decided to branch out on their own for a myriad of reasons. Maybe a designer prefers to work at 2am or a developer wants to wear pajamas to work. Maybe a project manager wants be choosy about the projects he takes on. Whatever their reasons the work you get will be backed by years of experience just like you’d get if you hired an employee or talked to an agency.

If you’re a small business looking for a website or a startup looking to produce a scalable, maintainable product while keeping costs reasonable then a freelancer or consultant is probably the perfect fit for you. Shameless plug: Call or email to get the ball rolling!